The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of 20 March, 2023
High North Dialogue 2023
The High North Dialogue 2023 Conference is less than a month away and is scheduled to take place on April 19 and 20 in Bodø, Norway. With this year’s theme “Business in the Arctic – Spaces of Opportunity,” the conference will offer numerous panels exploring opportunities in politics, business, outer space, the ocean, education, and other related fields. It will also feature conversations with officials, including several Arctic Ambassadors to Norway. The conference is supported by several organizations, including The Arctic Institute, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the University of the Arctic, among others. Registration is still available. (High North Dialogue)
Take 1: With the Arctic warming more than four times faster than the rest of the world, the region’s landscape is rapidly transforming. Despite the impacts of climate change, these immense shifts have also created new opportunities for industries and businesses. As sea ice cover continues to decline, most attention has focused on resource access and shipping in the increasingly navigable Arctic. However, maritime activities and extractive industries, such as oil and gas drilling, can have severe negative impacts on the region’s environment. At the same time, the changing Arctic is generating opportunities for innovation and sustainable development. From constructing renewable energy systems for the High North to bringing internet connectivity to the remote region, numerous sectors are pioneering new ideas to help address the emerging challenges to the Arctic. Therefore, conferences, like High North Dialogue, are vital to promoting innovation in this space and fostering discussion on sustainable practices for Arctic development. Serving as central meeting places for deliberation and collaboration, these dialogues bring together a broad community of stakeholders beyond traditional institutions of governance to engage with Arctic affairs. As the Arctic’s challenges continue to grow, the conference provides a unique platform for researchers, businesses, and policymakers to exchange ideas and advance new approaches to secure a sustainable future for the region. Registration to attend the conference is still open. Looking forward to seeing you there! (Department of Energy, European Space Agency, Sustainable Development Working Group)
UN Panel Warns of Catastrophic Global Warming
As reported by the Washington Post on March 20, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its latest Synthesis Report, which summarizes the state of knowledge on climate change. The report states that the world is likely to surpass its target of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C above preindustrial temperatures by the 2030s. It highlights that climate change is already disproportionately affecting vulnerable communities like those in the Arctic, and the document notes that impacts on the region’s ecosystem, such as permafrost thaw and biodiversity loss, are approaching irreversibility. (Washington Post)
Take 2: The IPCC’s latest report is a stark warning to the world about global warming and its impacts on humanity and the Arctic. As observed in the report, the region is currently experiencing a multitude of challenges. Rising temperatures are transforming the Arctic by contributing to sea ice melt, which contributes further to global warming as the lack of sea ice reduces the Earth’s ability to reflect sunlight. Similarly, thawing permafrost exacerbates climate change by releasing the significant amounts of carbon stored in its frozen ground. These impacts, along with ocean acidification, glacial melt, coastal erosion, wildfires, pollution, biodiversity loss, and many other issues, pose severe risks to the health and livelihood of the Arctic’s Indigenous Peoples, inhabitants, wildlife, and ecosystems. The Arctic is a critical component of the global environment, but it is also a vulnerable region. Continued warming can cause rapid changes well beyond the point of adaptability. Although the IPCC synthesis report presents a dire outlook on the state of climate change, it also highlights that implementing drastic steps can prevent catastrophe. Hence, it is imperative that the international community take immediate actions to address climate change and preserve the Arctic. Otherwise, the region and some of its most defining features, from its sea ice to its unique animals, may be lost forever. (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, National Snow and Ice Data Center, NOAA, The Arctic Institute)
Trail Access Predicted to Decline in Canadian Arctic
As reported by The Weather Network on March 17, new research published in Nature found that trails across Inuit Nunangat, the homeland of the Inuit in Canada, will decline over the next 80 years. Using interviews with trail users in Northern Canada, climate data, and sea-ice projections, a team of researchers discovered that there are 249 days each year when land, sea, and ice trails are navigable. They predict that access to these trails may decrease to as low as 209 days a year by 2100. (The Weather Network)
Take 3: Trails have enormous cultural and historical significance to Inuit communities. For centuries, these extensive land, sea, and ice networks connected remote communities across Northern Canada, Alaska, and Greenland. Knowledge of these trails and how to navigate them were passed down through generations, and despite changes in transportation and technology, these passages remain vital links. Trails are often the only way of travel from settlements to areas where Indigenous people engage in subsistence activities like hunting, fishing, and herding. Thus, Inuit communities depend heavily on these passages for their food security and health, especially when trails intersect with migration routes, which provide access to traditional foods. Trails also connect communities to heritage sites and other settlements, providing for the exchange of Indigenous knowledge, cultural activities, and self-healing. As a result, the loss of these trails has profound consequences for the survival, well-being, and culture of many Indigenous Peoples. The recent research provides evidence that climate change is reducing access to these essential passages, particularly sea ice trails. For Inuit communities, trails are not merely paths of transportation, but are part of the Inuit tradition and are lived experiences that are celebrated through their continued use. As the Arctic continues to warm, more research and programs should focus on preserving these fundamental routes. (Nature, Phys.org, Smithsonian Magazine)
State Visit: Solidifying the Russian-Chinese Arctic Relationship?
As reported by The Independent Barents Observer on March 21, President Vladimir Putin has announced that Russia is prepared to create a joint working organ with China on the development of the Northern Sea Route. The statement was made during President Xi Jinping’s recent state visit to Russia. President Xi also met with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and other Russian officials to discuss cooperation on Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG2, two major joint energy projects between both countries. The prime minister noted that several key decisions on future cooperation were considered during the visit. (The Independent Barents Observer)
Take 4: President Putin’s announcement marks a new step in the Arctic relationship between Russia and China. In addition to Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG2, China has increasingly invested in numerous Russian projects to support the development of the Northern Sea Route and the Polar Silk Road over the last few decades. Chinese shipyards have secured contracts to produce Russian icebreakers, and Chinese firms have also supplied Russia with critical technology, especially after sanctions over the war in Ukraine. While details of the proposed body are still unknown, the statement signals that Russia is ready to offer China a greater role in steering the future of the NSR, highlighting the deepening of cooperation between the two countries. The creation of a joint working organ would also elevate China’s position within the Arctic. For years, China has worked to establish legitimacy and advance its role in Arctic governance by expanding scientific research and economic activity in the region. Yet a joint body would greatly strengthen China’s claim as a “near-Arctic state” as it would be directly involved in the planning and development of projects within the Arctic. While countries should remain cautious of China’s growing presence in the region, it may also be an opportunity for greater collaboration, with China’s partnership with Russia being used to mediate the resumption of Arctic cooperation. (Brookings, House Foreign Affairs Committee, The Arctic Institute)
Nunatsiavut Researchers Board CCGS Amundsen for the First Time
As reported by CBC News on March 20, the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Amundsen welcomed two scientists from Nunatsiavut, Canada, for the first time on its annual research expedition through the Labrador Sea. The Nunatsiavut community members were aboard the vessel to conduct research that would help Nunatsiavut develop a marine plan to sustainably manage the region’s waters, which cover nearly 49,000 square kilometers of coast and ocean. The CCGS Amundsen is an icebreaker and the only coast guard vessel dedicated to Arctic research. (CBC News)
Take 5: The inclusion of the two Nunatsiavut scientists is a historic milestone for the CCGS Amundsen expeditions. It highlights the growing recognition of Indigenous knowledge and the increasing participation of Indigenous Peoples in conducting research that contributes to the development of Arctic policies, such as the IMO’s decision to include Indigenous knowledge in its review of underwater noise pollution guidelines. Incorporating traditional knowledge can contribute greatly to Arctic research because it stems from generations of observations, direct interactions with the ecosystem, and intricate understandings of the environment that outside researchers may not be aware of or have considered. Even more importantly, including Indigenous community members in research projects is necessary because the Arctic is their home. Their local knowledge is vital for informing decision-making and developing solutions since Indigenous Peoples are personally experiencing the emerging challenges in the region. Although the two Nunatsiavut scientists aboard the Amundsen represent progress, more work is needed to improve collaboration and include local Arctic communities as equal partners in research. As researchers from the region, Indigenous people can provide a unique perspective that they can share with other scientists and teams from around the world. Thus, the CCGS Amundsen and other research missions should continue to engage with Indigenous communities and include Indigenous researchers on future expeditions. (Arctic Council, Nunatsiaq News, University of Washington)